Flexible-runner sled.



W. E. SHERWOOD.

FLEXIBLE RUNNER SLED.

APPLICATION FILED M16029. l9l6.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A TTOR/VE Y8 W. E. SHERWOOD.

FLEXIBLE RUNNER suzo.

APPLlCAHON FILED AUG-29. 1916. 1,281,859, Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR A rromv rs iiniran snares Parana @FFEQE.

WILLIAM E. SHERWOOD, 0F CANASTO'IA, NEW YORK.

FLEXIBLE-RUNNER SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed August 29, 1916. Serial No. 117,427.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. SHER- WOOD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Canastota, in the county of Madison and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Flexible-Runner Sled, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to sleds which are steered'by flexing the runners thereof, and

the benches being shown when the runners are straight or unflexed in Fig. 2 and when the runners are flexed in one direction in Fig. 3.

Figs. 1 and 5 are detail views of the front and rear benches and contiguous parts.

7 The sled comprises generally a body, flexible runners, and means for flexing adjacent portions of each runner so. that the middle section between the benches and the front portion in front of the front bench are displaced laterally in opposite directions.

.1. designates the body of the sled; 2 the flexible runners, and S, 4: front and rear benches mounted on the runners. Thefront and rear benches are mounted so that the runners between the benches can warp in a direction opposite to that in which the'front ends of said runners are flexed so as to give a maximum curvature tothe runners. For instance, as seen in Fig.3 the front ends of the runners are flexed to the left or upwardly on the sheet while theportions of the runners between the'benohes 3, tare bowed to the right or downwardly, hence the portions of the runners resting on the ground are flexed so that a comparatively large steering movement is obtained.

In thisembodiment of my inventiointhe front benches are pivoted to the body or the cross bar 5 thereof on vertical axes located to the inside of,that is, between the runners,. -and are secured to thecross bar 5by means ofpins 6, 7 passing through areshaped slots 8, 9 the pins having enlarged heads or washers overlying the slots so as-to hold the benches in position. During the warping or flexing of the runners, each bench moves about an axis located somewhere between the two slots, and the pins and slots guide the benches in their turning movement.

The rear benches 1 are also pivotally connected to the body or cross bar 10 thereof,

and as-here .shown, the pivotal pins are located to the outside of parallel lines running lengthwise of the sled and-intersecting the pivotal points of the front benches.

The rear benchesare here shown as'pivoted at 11 in vertical lines intersecting the runners. These rear benches are secured in position bypins 12 similarto the pins 6, 7, the pins 12 passing through arc-shaped slots 13 concentric with the axes 11. I

. The means for turning or flexing' the runners is connected to the frontends of the runners and also to the front benches This steering means as here shown comprises a lever 14 preferably extending lengthwise of the sled midway between the front ends of the runners and pivoted at 15 to a crossbar l6 connecting the front ends ofthe runners, parts against which the rear end of the lever braces so'that movement of the lever will. causethe pivotal point 15 i0 move laterally. in one direction or the other and hence transmit lateral movement to the front, ends of the runners, and a steering member or. foot piece 17 connected to the lever 14.

In this embodiment of my invention, the parts against which the rearend of the lever 1 1 .braces are push and pull rods 19 to which the lever is pivoted-at 18, said rods diverging towardltheir rear ends and being pivoted at-QO attheir rear ends respectively, to the front benches 3.

The pivots 20 may be at any suitable points determined by the amount of leverage desired, and the points 20 are usually located between the slots 8, 9 so that they are near the vertical axis of the front benches.

In operation,-upon the turning of the lever 14E by means of the steering member 17, the

pivotal point 15 of said lever is swunglaterally in one direction transferring its lateral movement to the front ends of the runners 2, and also the rear end of this lever swings in a small areas illustrated as in Fig.

to the left or in anticlockwise direction by pulling forward on its inwardly extending bracket, and the right hand front bench 2 is moved over to the left or anticlockwise by pushing rearwardly on its inwardly extending bracket. This movement of the brackets causes the parts of the runner between the benches, which parts run upon the ground, to concave in a direction opposite to the flexing movement of the front ends of the runners, this flexing being permitted by reason of the location of the centers 11 of the rear benches and to the fact that both the front and rear benches are permitted to turn.

This sled is particularly advantageous in that by reason of the flexing and the way in which the runners are mounted, the portions of the runners between the benches are flexed as well as the portions in front of the front benches, and further in that the flexing being in two directions more steering effect'is obtained than when the flexing is in but one direction.

What I claim is:

1. A sled comprising flexible runners, front and rear benches mounted on the runners, the front benches being mounted to move about vertical axes whereby the runners can flex between the benches, and means for flexing the runners, said means being benches mounted on the runners and movable about vertical axes, a steering member movable laterally about an axis from itscentralposition, connections between the steering member and the front ends of the flexible runners, and connections between the steeringv member and the benches, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a sled, the combination of flexible runners, benches mounted on the runners and movable about vertical axes, a bar connecting the front ends of the runners, a lever plvoted to the bar, means for turning the lever, and push and pull rods connecting the lever and the benches, substantially'as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A sled comprising a body, flexible runners, benches mounted on the flexible runners and including inwardly extending brackets, means spaced apart for securing the brackets to the body, said means being slidably connected to the brackets whereby the benches and brackets can move about vertical axes located between the fastening means, and means for flexing the runners and moving the benches about their vertical axes, substantially as and for the purpose specified. 7.

6. A sled comprising a body, flexible runners, benches mounted on the flexible runners and including inwardly extending brackets, means spaced apart for securing the brackets to the body, saidmeans being slidably connected to the brackets whereby the benches and brackets can move about vertical axes located between the fastening means,

and means for flexing the runners'and moving the benches about their vertical axes, said means being onnected to the brackets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7 A sled comprisin a body, flexible runners, benches mounte on the flexible runners and including inwardly extending brackets, means spaced apart for securing the brackets to the body, said means being slidably connected to the brackets whereby the benches and brackets can move about vertical axes located between. the fastening means, and means for flexing the runners and moving the benches about their vertical axes, said means being connected to the brackets, between the "spaced apart means which secure the brackets to the sled body, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. A sled comprising a body, flexible runners, benches mounted on the flexible runners and including inwardlyextending brackets, means spaced apart for securing the brackets to the body, said means being slidably connected to the brackets whereby the brackets can move about vertical axes, and means for flexing the runners, connected to the front ends of the runners to turn the same laterally and to the benches to turn said benches about the vertical axes of the brackets, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. A sled comprising a body, flexible runners, front and rear benches mounted on the runners, the front benches being mounted to move about vertical axes located between the runners, the-rear benches being mounted to twist upon vertical axes located outside of lengthwise parallel lines intersecting the axes of the front benches, and means for flexing the runners, substantially as and for tween the runners and the rear benches being mounted to twist upon vertical axes substantially intersecting the runners, and means for flexing the runners, said means being connected to the front ends of the runners to swing the same laterally and to the front benches to turn the same about their vertical axes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. A sled comprising a body, flexible runners, front and rear benches mounted on the runners, the front benches being mounted to move about vertical axes located between the runners and the rear benches bein mounted to twist upon vertical axes located outside of lengthwise parallel lines substantially intersecting the axes of the front benches, and means for flexing the runners, said means comprising a member connecting the front ends of the runners, a lever pivoted to said member, and rods pivoted to the rear end of the lever and to the frontbenches, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondagaand State of New York, this 17th day of February, 1916.

WILLIAM E. SHERWOOD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

